SUMMARY
- Many believe that Sean Strickland was conspired against at UFC 297.
- Strickland's verbal tirade against Alexander K. Lee has gone viral, garnering many positive and negative reactions.
UFC 297 is in the books, and fans have had the time to go through and analyze everything that happened. Notably, two new champions were crowned on the night, with one being more controversial. As such, many believe that Sean Strickland was conspired against at the event.
For the most part, there was a great expectation that Strickland and Dricus du Plessis would go to war in their fight. As such, the fight did not disappoint, as both fighters fought like warriors and gave it their absolute all. Unfortunately, at the end of it all, Du Plessis was crowned the new Middleweight Champion.
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Naturally, Strickland cut a disappointed figure after the final result. Despite this, he kept his head held high and praised the crowd for their support all throughout the week. Looking back, Sean was the clear favorite and was hailed as the people’s champion. Thus, just like the fighter himself, many fans can’t help but believe that the former champ was hard done by.
Was Sean Strickland made to lose his UFC title on purpose?
For the most part, Sean Strickland has often divided people’s opinions. Whilst MMA fans hail him for his ‘real’ and ‘brash’ personalities, it is clear that the same does not go down well with everyone. Following his comments on media day, certain sections of the population have been left angered by Strickland. Notably, his verbal tirade against Alexander K. Lee has gone viral, garnering many positive and negative reactions.
As a result, this has led many fans to believe that Sean was not given the nod against Dricus du Plessis on purpose. Prior to the scores being read out, many inside the arena and online had the champ winning the fight. As per the consensus, Strickland had taken rounds 1, 2, and 5. However, only judge Sal D’Amato has scored the contest in his favor.
Thus, many felt as though Sean’s comments in the lead-up to the fight had something to do with it. Naturally, with so many fighters and experts also picking Strickland to win, it was a big upset when the decision went the other way. Additionally, many have theorized that Du Plessis winning gives the UFC a clear storyline to work with. As such, Dricus’ rivalry with Israel Adesanya is likely the next move, and one that will be very profitable.
Dana White distances himself from Sean Strickland’s comments on LGBTQ and women
Fans of Sean Strickland will know that he tends to say and do out-of-pocket things. As a result, many have considered him to be a risk to the brand and the company that employs him. Thus, many have suggested that the UFC has tried to ‘muzzle’ and censor what the fighter says in front of the media. Notably, in the previously mentioned media tirade, Sean also hinted at a person behind the scenes, keeping him in check.
Similarly, many have also implied that UFC President Dana White was not enthralled by the idea of having Strickland as a champion. As such, some believe that he has had some part to play in the former champ being relinquished of his title. In the UFC 297 post-fight press conference, White seemingly deflected Sean’s past statements in front of the media.
During the post-fight press conference, Dana responded to a bait question. “I don’t give anybody a leash. A leash? Control what people say? Gonna tell people what to believe? I don’t f*****g tell any other human being what to say, what to think, and there’s no leashes, on any of them. It’s ridiculous to say I give someone a leash.” Further, he added, “Free speech, brother, people can say whatever they want, and people can believe whatever they want”.
As such, White’s comments may have seemed as though he was defending Strickland. However, he was also proud of the fact that two women fought for a title at the co-main event, something Strickland publicly slammed. At the same time, Dana was also one of the many who believed Sean had won the fight. All things considered, with Strickland losing, things have worked out a little too well for the UFC.